The end of freedom press in the USA

I read this article today and I found it very interesting. The newspaper is like the German version of the the american times. Not sure if you Americans agree with that.


Google translation



The end of freedom press in the USA 


Brian Ross is one of the most renowned U.S. investigative reporter. In his 20 years at ABC News, he revealed countless government scandals and secrets, including the existence of the CIA torture centers in Eastern Europe. Sometimes he was wrong, but he was always uncomfortable. 


But slowly the 65-year-old is tired: The intelligence community, especially the spy agency NSA, made ​​his job soon almost impossible. He must itself act as a spy to protect themselves from government surveillance and the consequences, he says: "There is something repellent about having to apply complex evasive and Security techniques - as a criminal." 


Not an isolated case: America's 


Spying complicates the work of investigative reporters rapidly, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported in a study that they presented this Monday. Inside is deep irony: Was it yet - next to the revelations of former NSA's Edward Snowden - investigative journalism ever made known until the true extent of spying. 


The sniffer delusion pity of expression and press freedom, complains HRW. Quintessentially American values ​​such as "freedom, democracy and an open, accountable government" were "seriously threatened" - by the large-scale, state monitoring programs, coupled with more stringent, often merciless measures to maintain confidentiality government-owned internals. 


The same threat also applies to lawyers who are, for example, in terrorist methods employed. "The work of journalists and lawyers is central to our democracy," said Alex Sinha, the author of the 120-page report. "If their work suffers, we suffer too." 


The report records the consequences of NSA methods in detail. For this purpose, HRW interviewed 92 victims, including 46 reporters and Pulitzer Prize winner of U.S. mainstream media as the "New York Times", the "Wall Street Journal" and the "Washington Post". Even five government insider said to the highest levels of the FBI participated, albeit anonymously. The NSA accepted too, but then canceled again. 


The U.S. government is technologically able to "suck in previously unprecedented degree" personal information, HRW writes. At the same time Washington is exacerbating the prosecution of informers. Many are likely under threat of disciplinary measures have now does not talk to reporters. 


"It has never been so bad," said Jonathan Landay, intelligence correspondent for the third-largest U.S. newspaper chain McClatchy. His colleague Tom Gjelten by radio station NPR seconded that each of his steps shall documented by the state: "It is a terrible time when you have to report on the government." Jane Mayer of the "New Yorker" spoke of "an additional layer of fear". 


This fear manifests itself especially among informants. "Much less people make themselves available," said James Asher, the Washington bureau chief for McClatchy. Once reliable sources vanish suddenly from the scene. Others would not even talk more about the most mundane things. 


The informants fear that the NSA information to facilitate a prosecution against them. There is talk of a "porous wall" between NSA and Justice Department. So far, the Obama administration launched for alleged "leaks" investigation against eight officials received - almost three times as many as all governments before. 


This procedure destroyed existences. As an example, HRW called Stephen Kim, an ex-employee of the State Department, who had the Fox News reporter James Rosen leaked information about North Korea. Kim pleaded guilty to avoid a trial, and was sentenced to 13 months in prison. 


Also internal measures took effect, HRW writes. Some of the withdrawal of the "security clearance", the clearance certificate for safety-related government jobs: who lose, "can no longer work," said Steve Engelberg, the managing editor of the investigative media foundation ProPublica. 
The journalists are themselves little more to reveal something. All reported "extensive steps to protect sources and information." This leads to more and less government Interna less and less crowded to the public. 



"If the U.S. does not address these concerns quickly and effectively it could be serious, long-term damage to the fabric of democracy in our country," warns HRW. The surveillance mania cave of the values​​, " what the United States appreciates most" - constitutional rights such as the press and freedom of expression.


http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/human-rights-watch-nsa-ueberwachung-schadet-journalismus-a-983139.html

Unbelievably complex subject, Nicki.

In a way the internet is both enabling and disabling both sides. And if I understand this correctly, the NSA is now 'watching over' everyone including investigative journalists, but also watching over government employees who presumably have taken some sort of oath depending on the nature of their work....

Maybe it's just 'shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted' tho

Here's Brian Ross recalling an earlier escapade........


http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/07/brian-ross-thanks-us-officials-32-years-after-hostage-crisis/

The end of freedom of the American press has nothing to do with the NSA and everything to do with multinational corporations owning the major news outlets and holding authority over what gets investigated and reported.

Informants who whistleblow for the public good don't stay silent because the government collects information. Genuine intentions don't wilt under the stare of Big Brother; that would defeat the purpose.The ones who tell secrets because they expect something for themselves might get scared off by the threat of surveillance and retribution, though. It's the nature of the beast. Game theory on a world stage. That goes for informants as well as investigative journalists.

On the other hand, an informant who is willing to talk but has no one to get him to a public forum -- the job of journalism -- because the people with real power have put limits on what journalism can and will do isn't much of a threat, is s/he?

The NSA ain't going anywhere, and its functions have been around in one form or another since forever. It's just that the technology has changed. But through all its incarnations, there were informants, and real stories, and revelations of wrongdoing by investigators and reporters.  But then, the journalists weren't being paid by the people who manufacture your appliances and electronis in Asia. That's not true today. Journalism -- real journalism -- is disappearing. And there's no blaming that on the NSA.